


You’re still so distant and I can’t bring you back

by YunaDragneel



Series: Remember me as I was not as I am [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Kidnapping, M/M, Non-Consensual Drug Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-15
Updated: 2015-12-15
Packaged: 2018-05-06 21:57:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5432264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YunaDragneel/pseuds/YunaDragneel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was all Bruce's fault. Maybe he needed to listen to Jason to come back to his senses.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You’re still so distant and I can’t bring you back

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TimmyJaybird](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimmyJaybird/gifts).



> This is the Intermission, next two parts are the great horror as I've dubbed it.

After a week Tim left Wayne manor with Damian, thanking Alfred for everything he tried, for everything he’d done. The butler had hugged him, apologizing that he couldn’t change Bruce’s mind, that he couldn’t stop him from going through with this. He apologized for Bruce hurting him and it broke Tim’s heart. Alfred didn’t deserve to blame himself, but he was too powerless, too exhausted to stop him, so Tim let it be.

“Master Timothy please take care of yourself,” Alfred had said to him. But Tim was sure Alfred hadn’t meant for him to look into the bathroom mirror and think about how easy it would have been to end this all. To make the inner pain and numbness stop by popping a few pills too much. The only thing that kept him from doing anything bad was Damian. Tim’s heart broke again and again whenever Damian tried hard for his sake. Tried hard to make him smile and feel loved. He was trying to pick up the shattered pieces of Tim. But he would only get cut, over and over again.

Damian stayed inside the apartment with Tim, not trusting him to be alone with the mental state of his. He cared too much to see Tim end himself. Cared too much to leave him alone, crying in the bathroom on days he felt like he wasn’t enough. On days he felt like stopping what was left of himself. Tim was in a miserable state, but somehow Damian managed to make him forget sometimes that Bruce abandoned him. That he fought with Dick, that he broke the trust between them. It was sad, really. That a family broke apart from fighting, broke apart from being unable to handle the truths.

 *

Jason stopped by the manor and he felt a shiver run down his spine. There was a heavy atmosphere surrounding the building, something that didn’t feel like home. He went inside, found a deserted lobby. No steps. No warmth. Cold. Jason shivered, his eyes adjusting to the low light.

“Master Jason?” Alfred whispered from the darkness of the hall.

“Alfred, what happened here?” Dread spread through his body, and he moved towards the butler. He reached out, hugged the butler.

“Things… escalated. Master Timothy and Master Damian left after a fallout with Master Bruce and Master Dick two weeks ago.” Alfred squeezed him, appreciating the hug Jason gave him. “I have not heard of them and Master Bruce berated me for ‘coddling’ them.”

“Bullshit,” Jason growled, “I’m gonna talk to him. He’s not getting away with that fucking attitude of his even if I have to punch him.” He let go of Alfred. “He’s in the cave brooding isn’t he?”

“Yes, but please do not overdo it,” Alfred told him, “It’s still a lot to take in, about Master Damian and Master Timothy.” Jason nodded and walked down the hall. “Also! Language, Master Jason!” And the man smiled at those words.

 *

In the cave Bruce sat in front of the batcomputer, staring at the screen with a frown on his face. Dick was training by himself, needing to move, to do something to keep him occupied. The thump of Jason’s heavy boots echoed throughout the massive cave, and Dick stopped what he was doing to see who came through the darkness, delighted to see Jason.

“Little Wing!” He smiled, but Jason only returned a scowl, which made Dick frown.

“So, Alfred is coddling Tim and Damian, huh?” He began, his voice a sneer. “I see, someone caring about Tim and his mental state is coddling.”

“Jay what are you─” But he was cut off.

“Shut up, Dick.” He paused. “Fucking look at me Bruce!” The bats on the ceiling rustled at the booming voice, squeaking alarmed. The chair sweeped around and Bruce faced Jason. The old man was looking worn and tired.

“Are you going to tear into me as well?” He asked, looking rather stoic. As if he’d heard this more than once.

“Not only you, trust me.” Jason shot a scathing look at Dick. “I have some more personal beef with that guy over there as well, but first you’re the one who needs to be reminded of facts.” He clenched his fists when Bruce didn’t move, but only pursed his lips.

“Go on then. I’m sure I heard the same thing from Alfred,” he replied, “But I won’t change my mind. Tim is banned until he gets his mind together.”

“That’s the point Bruce. He can’t without _us_. Not without his father.” That got a reaction from Bruce, his eyes widened a bit and he flinched barely noticeable.

“I’m not─”

“Are you fucking blind, Bruce?!” Jason roared. “You’re more of a father than fucking Jack Drake ever was. You mean the world to Tim, he looked up to you and gave _everything_ to be good enough as your son. Shit have you ever fucking seen the kid? He tried so hard to be what you needed, but in the end you fucking dismissed him!”

“Jason you don’t under─” Dick tried to cut in, but was interrupted by Jason again.

“Shut your goddamn mouth golden boy. Actually, what do you even have to say in this god forsaken family? You run off when it’s crucial! You _left_ Tim and me. We had to keep Gotham safe whilst fucking daddy bats shut down and stopped doing anything to help us!” Jason was shaking from all the rage he held inside. “We dealt with Ivy, Bane, Scarecrow and whatever else came after us all alone. We were grieving over Damian and you found it perfect to disappear to Blüdhaven!”

“You know that’s not true! I had to get myself together before I could come back!” Dick yelled back. He’d had the same conversation with Tim before he left.

“Yeah and you left us here alone instead of trying to get over it _with_ us. We tried alone. And by god we did awful, Tim did awful,” Jason’s voice mellowed, “We had to pull each other back from awful places. We fucking made mistakes but you don’t get to tear him down for anything. After he found out Damian was alive─ God I… I’ve never seen him so happy and at peace with himself.” He stopped, taking a deep breath. “It doesn’t fucking matter if he’d bedding down with Damian, they’re not even brothers and the kid always had a crush on Tim. But fuck you for driving him out of the home he protected for so long.” Dick kept his mouth shut, averting his eyes. “You were too fucking harsh on him and for fuck’s sake apologize to him. Take him back home. We’ve done enough damage to each other to further it.”

Bruce rubbed his hands over his face. Jason was right, had been right all along. How come he had been so blind, too blind to see that he was doing so much harm to hid kids. “You’re right, Jason.” He muttered, looking at him. “I should have acted more like a parent – like a father.”

“Now you’re getting it. Come on let’s go get Timmy back,” Jason replied, “But first you apologize to Alfred. He suffered from you berating him.” Bruce looked even guiltier. “We all make mistakes, hell knows my life is one damn mistake, but I still make the best of it. And you shouldn’t let a mistake get you down.” Jason turned around. “Come on. Dick you stay, because you need to think a bit more, and I still have more beef with you.” He glared over his shoulder at the man and walked away, Bruce following a bit after.

 *

Tim had been sleeping for quite some time and when he awoke, he found himself buried in blankets and Damian’s chest. The younger man had protectively wrapped himself around Tim, providing comfort and warmth, something Tim appreciated. He needed to talk to Jason soon. He heard the door and jerked up, Damian immediately wide awake beside him scanning the room.

“Pretty bird are you alright?” He asked, slowly getting up, pulling the clawed gloves on.

“I heard something. The door, someone was opening it,” Tim got up as well, wobbling a bit from the lack of exercise, but he was aware of his surroundings, grabbed his bō-staff just in case. There were footsteps and suddenly the bedroom door was slammed open. There were people in white coats and masks, different tools in their hands but quite a few had a syringe. Damian leaped at them, clawing at their coats, revealing Kevlar underneath. “Dami get away from them!!” But the warning came too late and two muscled guys grabbed Damian, held him still and another coat pushed the syringe into his neck, emptying the concoction into his bloodstream.

Almost immediately Damian’s eyes were dull and he fell limp, and they hoisted him up. Then they looked at Tim and the muscled guy crept closer. Tim was frozen, trying to will himself to move, but he couldn’t. His eyes were too focused on the limp Damian to fight. The big guy grabbed his arm, took the staff away and manhandled him over to one of the coated people. That’s when he began thrashing. He needed to save Damian, take him to the manor get help from Bruce. He was throwing himself against muscle-guy, toppling him over and into the wall. There was now a hole and Tim managed to grab his staff, ramming it into the other guy who promptly let Damian fall. He caught the young male and pulled him back, close to himself. “Don’t you dare take him from me!”

“Take him as well.” One of the coats commanded, and the muscled guys both restrained Tim, shocking him with a Taser. The staff clattered onto the ground. A syringe was rammed into his neck making him cry out. It quickly stopped when he fell limp.

 *

Jason stood on the roof of the apartment complex Damian and Tim were living in. It had taken a while to get there since Bruce had apologized to Alfred first. The butler had scolded him, but nevertheless he was happy Bruce saw his mistake. Jason had tried to contact Tim and tell him about the visit, but he hadn’t been able to get through. Bruce shifted beside him, glancing at Jason from the corner of his eyes.

“Let’s just go and see if they’re there,” Jason muttered and dropped down onto the fire escape, walking a few steps down to the window of their apartment. Something was wrong. Most times there was some indication that someone was there. But there was none. Jason got in through the window, and the massive hole in the wall was the first peculiar thing that came into view. The unhinged door was the next and the discarded bō-staff was the last. “Fuck! Bruce get your ass in here!!”

“Jason is everything alright?” Bruce sweeped in and looked around. He froze.

“Who the fuck would come after them?!” Jason was shaking if it was from rage or anxiety, he didn’t know. Bruce inspected the site, gathering as much information as he could. But he found nothing aside from a piece of cloth.

“We need to look into it.” The shoved the piece of cloth into his pocket and retreated back out the window.

Flakes of snow were falling when Jason got back out, all anxious and nervous. Coldness seeped into him. Then he followed Bruce back to the cave.


End file.
